1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to personal floatation devices and, more particularly to a personal floatation device that is deflated and can be worn on a user's appendage while swimming without affecting user's mobility and can be quickly inflated and deployed when the need for use or an emergency arises.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/052,185 offers a personal floatation device (PFD) sleeve that can be worn around a user's appendage and used in emergency situations while in water. The PFD sleeve attaches to the user's appendage using one or more first and second connection panels connected to opposing sides of a compartment. Preferably, the connection panels are connected to the compartment via one or more strips extending along a bottom surface of the compartment, and, the compartment is attached to the strips by sewing or the like. The compartment has an opening between a first top wall and a second top wall and a deflated PFD may be inserted into an interior of the compartment through the opening.
The PFD inserted into the compartment has a gas cartridge releasing mechanism. The gas cartridge releasing mechanism causes a cartridge containing compressed gas to inflate the PFD. A cord operatively coupled the gas cartridge releasing mechanism extends out of the opening of the compartment and is pulled to activate the mechanism. Once activated, the mechanism punctures the compressed gas cartridge, which causes the compressed gas therein to rapidly exit the cartridge and enter the PFD to inflate it. The rapidly expanding volume of the PFD upon inflation causes the PFD to exit the compartment through the opening. The PFD is tethered to the compartment and the buoyancy of the PFD pulls the user to safety.
With the cord extending out of the opening and dangling from the PFD sleeve, there is a risk that it may be inadvertently pulled and the PFD inadvertently deployed. That risk is exacerbated when the density of swimmers around a user of the PFD sleeve is elevated. For example, starting the swimming portion of a triathlon presents a situation where the risk of inadvertent PFD deployment is increased. Other examples may be swimming at a crowded beach or the like. Accordingly, a need exists to secure the cord from being accidentally pulled.
Additionally, it has been found that the compartment of the PFD sleeve may shrink and stretch depending on whether it is wet or dry. The stretching or the shrinking of the compartment may affect the performance of the PFD sleeve and dissuade people from wearing it. For example, increased drag of the PFD sleeve through the water can occur if the compartment loosely surrounds the PFD instead of being taut around it. In the competitive triathlon environment referred to above, for example, the notion of increased drag and slower race times dissuades those competitors from using the PFD sleeve. Therefore, a need exists for a compartment which may still be tautly closed around the PFD even when the compartment stretches.